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A forklift operator was killed when his forklift was struck from behind by a motor vehicle.

On September 17, 2004, a 20-year-old forklift operator was killed after being struck by a motor vehicle while driving a forklift on a state highway. The decedent's employer had rented the forklift from a nearby business and the decedent was returning it at the time of the incident. The employer had planned to follow the decedent in his truck with his emergency flashers on, but needed to get some gasoline first. He instructed the decedent to wait for him, but the decedent decided to leave without him once he was finished with his task. The forklift was only equipped with one flashing light on top; there were no slow-moving vehicle emblems. The decedent was not wearing the seat belt. After crossing to the inside lane of the highway to make a U-turn, the forklift was struck by a vehicle that had just come over a hill and did not have time to react. The decedent was ejected and pinned for 50 minutes under the forklift that landed on him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Oklahoma Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (OKFACE) investigators concluded that to help prevent similar occurrences, employers should: 1. Consider using a trailer or other means for transporting mobile heavy equipment, such as forklifts, between work sites. 2. Ensure that forklifts and other powered industrial trucks are not driven off work premises and particularly not on public highways. 3. Ensure that employees wear a seat belt while operating forklifts or other powered industrial trucks. 4. Develop, implement, and enforce a training and certification program for operators of forklifts and other powered industrial trucks.